Question

Read the excerpt from Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I Have a Dream” speech.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that: Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

The most likely reason King uses allusions in this part of his speech is to

Answer 1

To encourage readers to envision freedom everywhere.

Answer 2

Answer: To encourage readers to envision freedom everywhere.

In this except, Martin Luther King Jr. is naming several locations in the United States in order to encourage readers to envision freedom everywhere. By naming places that are far apart, he highlights the fact that location will no longer be a problem for the exercise of freedom. Moreover, the second section of the except (after the phrase "but not only that") names places that are particularly contentious, and that continue to struggle with racial issues. His intention is to imply that even the most conflictive places will soon enjoy freedom for all.